1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for cleaning, compounding, polishing, brushing, burnishing and buffing that uses extending material elements, and in particular, to a device that accomplishes such results using the rotary motion of a plurality of standard-sized, disposable shop towels, paper towels, or surgical towels that are readily available at commercial vendors.
2. Background of the Technology
Many devices for buffing only operate when the buffing materials are pressed against the material to be buffed, and are thus difficult to use for at least this reason. The following devices exemplify these types of buffing devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,249 to Hoffman discloses a multi-purpose vibrational cleaning, scrubbing, buffing, and polishing device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,582 to Yamashita discloses a mop sheet holder and a corresponding mop sheet. U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,833 to Belanger discloses a rotary finishing wheel. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,298,517 and 6,405,403 to McKay disclose a cleaning tool with removable cleaning sheets. U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,352 to Blackman, et al., discloses a method and apparatus for cleaning, wiping, scouring, and abrading.
Additionally, conventional buffing devices may extend radially from the central axis, but the buffing sheets are typically not readily disposable or otherwise easy to obtain, and instead must be custom manufactured to fit the device. The following patents disclose these types of devices. U.S. Pat. No. 2,805,530 to Schaffner discloses a wheel-shaped, rotary finishing apparatus that may be used to buff. U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,744 to Schaffner III discloses a rotary buffing wheel in which layers of fabric attached to the wheel extend radially from the central axis of the wheel.
Some buffing devices, in which the buffing materials extend radially from the body, secure the buffing materials to the body, which is located on the central axis of the device, by using fastening devices, rather than friction, which for example, may unnecessarily complicate the device to make it difficult to use. Examples of these types of devices include the following. U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,687 to Dehart discloses a buff section assembly and method of making the assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 2,423,992 to Nordgren et al. discloses a rotary buffing tool in which wiping elements rotate about a rotary shank.
Many embodiments of conventional buffing devices, in which the buffing fingers extend radially, position the buffing fingers between grooves specially carved in the body and located on a central axis. Drawbacks of these devices include the fact that they do not use a fastening system to retain the buffing materials, and these devices typically do not have a retaining member attached to the body to keep the buffing fingers safely in the grooves during operation. The following patents disclose one or more of these features. U.S. Pat. No. 2,440,856 to Harrison discloses a finishing device in which a finishing element extends in two directions from a rotating central mandrel. U.S. Pat. No. 2,516,870 to Harrison discloses a finishing device wherein a flexible, plurality of material extends through a central mandrel so that it extends in two directions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,146 to De Cola discloses a rotary abrasive tool.